Economizer for air conditioning system or the like

ABSTRACT

Used in a thermal circulation system in which a fluid cooling agent is circulating in proper order through a compressor, a condenser, a capillary tube/expansion valve and a evaporator, an economizer is disclosed to include an enclosed vane wheel set in between the condenser and the evaporator and rotatable by the fluid cooling agent, two sealing structures mounted in the housing of the enclosed vane wheel to seal the gap between the housing and shaft of the enclosed vane wheel, and a cooling fan fixedly mounted on the shaft of the enclosed vane wheel outside the housing and rotatable with the shaft and the vanes at the shaft to cause currents of air toward the condenser for carrying heat away from the condenser.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to air conditioning or refrigerating system and more particularly, to an economizer for air conditioning or refrigerating system.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

In a conventional air conditioning system, an electric motor is used to rotate a cooling fan for quick dissipation of heat. Either a regular motor or variable-frequency motor is used to rotate the cooling fan of an air conditioning system, the motor consumes much electric energy. In order to save consumption of electric energy, economizer means shall be used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide an economizer for air conditioning system, which utilizes the kinetic energy of the fluid cooling agent circulating trough the air conditioning system to rotate the cooling fan of the air conditioning system for quick dissipation of heat.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the economizer is used in a thermal circulation system, which comprises a compressor, a condenser, a capillary tube/expansion valve, an evaporator, and a fluid cooling agent circulating in proper order through the compressor, the condenser, the capillary tube/expansion valve and the evaporator. The economizer comprises a vane wheel set in between the condenser and the evaporator and rotatable by the fluid cooling agent, sealing means, and a cooling fan. The vane wheel comprises a watertight housing, an inlet pipe connected between the housing and the condenser for guiding the fluid cooling agent from the condenser into the housing, an outlet pipe connected between the housing and the evaporator for guiding the fluid cooling agent out of the housing to the evaporator, a shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, and a set of vanes fixedly mounted on the shaft inside the housing and rotatable by the fluid cooling agent. Further, the inlet pipe has a caliber smaller than the outlet pipe. The sealing means is mounted in the housing around the shaft to seal the gap between the housing and the shaft. The cooling fan is fixedly mounted on the shaft outside the housing, and rotatable with the shaft and the set of vanes to cause currents of air toward the condenser for carrying heat away from the condenser. Further, the housing is comprised of a casing and a cover plate covering the casing.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the sealing means comprises two semispherical axle holders mounted in the housing at two opposite sides to support the shaft in the housing, the semispherical axle holders each having a plurality of inside grooves, a fluid polymer filled in the inside grooves inside the axle holders, and two stepped caps respectively mounted in the housing and capped on the semispherical axle holders to seal the gap between the housing and the shaft.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the housing comprises two axle bearings disposed at two opposite sides and adapted to support the shaft in the housing. The sealing means comprises two stepped elastic sealing rings respectively mounted on the axle bearings and the shaft to seal the gap between the axle bearings and the shaft, and two stepped hard caps respectively capped on the stepped elastic sealing rings.

By means of the economizer of the present invention, the cooling fan is rotated to cool the fluid cooling agent flowing toward the evaporator without consumption of electricity.

The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a thermal circulation system of an economizer system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1A is a schematic drawing showing an expansion valve installed in the path in the indoor unit of the air conditioner in front of the evaporator of the thermal circulation system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view in action of a vane wheel of the economizer system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional assembly view of the vane wheel of the economizer system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a sectional view showing the arrangement of the sealing structure of the vane wheel of the economizer system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an alternate form of the sealing structure of the vane wheel of the economizer system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a schematic drawing of the present invention, showing clockwise rotation of the vane wheel of the economizer system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5B is a schematic drawing of the present invention, showing counter-clockwise rotation of the vane wheel of the economizer system in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 1A, an economizer system in accordance with the present invention is used in a thermal circulation system. The thermal circulation system is comprised of a compressor 2, a condenser 3, a capillary tube 4 or expansion valve 7, and an evaporator 6. The compressor 2 sucks in low temperature, low pressure, gaseous cooling agent, and compresses it into high-temperature, high-pressure, gaseous cooling agent for output into the condenser 3. The condenser 3 comprises a plurality of radiation fins (not shown). The output end of the condenser 3 is connected to the evaporator 6 through the capillary tube 4 (see FIG. 1) or the expansion valve 7 in the indoor unit A (see FIG. 1A). The economizer comprises a vane wheel 1 installed in the path between the capillary tube 4 and the expansion valve 7. The vane wheel 1 is incorporated with a cooling fan 5. When cooling agent passed through the condenser 3, it enters the capillary tube 4. When cooling agent goes through the path between the expansion valve 7 and the evaporator 6 to move the van wheel 1 and the cooling fan 5, causing currents of air to carry heat energy away from the radiation fins of the condenser 3. When passed the expansion valve 7, cooling agent enters the evaporator 6 where cooling agent is expanded and evaporated for a next cycle of circulation. As an alternate form of the present invention, the aforesaid capillary tube 4 is eliminated, and the cooling fan 5 incorporated vane wheel 1 is directly installed in the output port of the condenser 3 for rotation by cooling agent passing through the condenser 3.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of one form of the vane wheel 1. According to this embodiment, the vane wheel 1 comprises a housing formed of a casing 17 and a cover plate 11, two axle bearings 12 and 18 respectively mounted in (a respective bearing block in) the casing 17 and the cover plate 11, a shaft 15 rotatably mounted in the axle bearings 12 and 18 in the housing of the casing 17 and cover plate 11, an axle bushing 13 mounted on the shaft 15 and abutted against the axle bearing 12, and a set of vanes 14 fixedly mounted on the shaft 15 inside the housing of the casing 17 and cover plate 11, a stepped elastic sealing ring 161 mounted on the shaft 15 (actually the flange of the shaft 15 that is stopped against the axle bearing 18 in the casing 17) to seal the gap between the shaft 15 and the axle bearing 18, and a stepped cap 16 capped on the stepped elastic sealing ring 161 at the shaft 16 (see FIG. 3A). The se of vanes 14 is comprised of a plurality of radially extending double curved surface type vanes. The stepped cap 16 can be a metal cap, or rubber-coated metal cap. The stepped elastic sealing ring 161 is a temperature-resisting, pressure-resisting elastic rubber ring, having a stepped inner diameter.

After installation of the shaft 15 in the housing of the casing 17 and cover plate 11, one end of the shaft 15 extends out of the housing of the casing 17 and cover plate 11 for the mounting of the cooling fan 5 (see FIG. 1).

FIG. 4 shows an alternate form of the vane wheel 1. After mounting of the set of vanes 14A on the shaft 15, the shaft 15 is installed in the housing that is formed of a casing and a cover plate. According to this embodiment, a sealing structure is provided at each contract area between the shaft 15 and the housing, i.e., two sealing structures are respectively provided at the contact area between the shaft 15 and the casing of the housing and the contact area between the shaft 15 and the cover plate of the housing. Each sealing structure comprises a plurality of grooves 161A inside a respective semispherical axle holder in the casing or cover plate that supports the shaft 15, an environment protective fluid polymer filled in the grooves 161A, and a stepped cap 16A capped on the axle holder to seal the gap between the shaft 15 and the axle holder, preventing leakage of cooling agent.

Further, a relatively thinner inlet pipe 171 and a relatively thicker outlet pipe 172 are respectively connected to the housing of the casing 17 and cover plate 11 for guiding cooling agent into the housing and guiding cooling agent out of the housing respectively, so that when cooling agent goes through the inlet pipe 171 and the outlet pipe 17, it forces the set of vanes 14 and the shaft 15 to rotate clockwise (see FIG. 5A) or counter-clockwise (see FIG. 5B). Further, the inlet pipe 171 and a relatively thicker outlet pipe 172 can be connected to the housing of the casing 17 and cover plate 11 at two opposite sides. The inlet pipe 171 can be formed of one single pipe. Alternatively, the inlet pipe 171 can be formed of two pipes joined together in a parallel manner. Further, a flow control valve may be installed for controlling the flow rate of cooling agent delivered through the inlet pipe 171 into the housing formed of the casing 17 and cover plate 11.

As stated, the set of vanes 14 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 15 in the enclosed inside space of the housing of the casing 17 and cover plate 11. When cooling agent goes out of the condenser 3, the high ambient temperature around the output port of the condenser 3 causes cooling agent to expand and to produce high impact that causes the set of vanes 14 and the shaft 15 to rotate rapidly, and therefore the cooling fan 5 is rotated with the shaft 15 to cause currents of air toward the radiation fins of the condenser 3 and to further lower the temperature of the condenser. When the ambient temperature around the output port of the condenser 3 is lowered, the speed of the set of vanes 14 and the shaft 15, i.e., the speed of the cooling fan 5 is relatively reduced. If the speed of the cooling fan 5 is not proper, the flow control valve (not shown) is controlled to regulate the flow rate of cooling agent into the housing of the casing 17 and cover plate 11, thereby controlling the speed of the cooling fan 5. Further, by means of controlling the angle of the flow of cooling agent flowing through the inlet pipe 171 into the housing of the casing 17 and cover plate 11, the direction of rotation of the set of vanes 14 and the shaft 15 is determined to fit the design of the cooling fan 5. After forcing the set of vanes 14 to rotate with the shaft 15, the pressure of cooling agent is reduced. Further, because the caliber of the outlet pipe 172 is relatively greater than the inlet pipe 171, the low pressure cooling agent flows out of the housing of the casing 17 and cover plate 11 through the outlet pipe 172 rapidly. Therefore, cooling agent that enters the evaporator 6 or the expansion valve 7 has a relatively lower temperature and lower pressure.

As stated above, the economizer system enables the air conditioner to achieve the following effects:

1. Energy saving: Instead of the use of an electric motor, the invention utilizes the pressure difference between the high-pressure output port of the condenser and the low-pressure input port of the evaporator to provide a kinetic energy, causing fluid cooling agent to rotate the vane wheel and the cooling fan. Therefore, the invention saves much energy.

2. Speed change: Subject to the variation of temperature and pressure of the cooling agent passing through the condenser, the speed of the vane wheel is relatively changed. Further, by means of pressure difference between the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe, cooling agent is delivered rapidly out of the housing of the casing and cover plate toward the evaporator.

3. Dynamic seal: The stepped metal cap and the pressure-resisting and temperature-resisting stepped sealing ring of the sealing structure at each contact area between the shaft and the housing of the casing and cover plate effectively prohibits leakage of cooling agent, while allowing rotation of the set of vanes with the shaft.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 

1. An economizer used in a thermal circulation system comprising a compressor, a condenser, a capillary tube/expansion valve, an evaporator, and a fluid cooling agent circulating in proper order through said compressor, said condenser, said capillary tube/expansion valve and said evaporator, the economizer comprising: a vane wheel set in between said condenser and said evaporator and rotatable by said fluid cooling agent, said vane wheel comprising a watertight housing, an inlet pipe connected between said housing and said condenser for guiding said fluid cooling agent from said condenser into said housing, an outlet pipe connected between said housing and said evaporator for guiding said fluid cooling agent out of said housing to said evaporator, said inlet pipe having a caliber smaller than said outlet pipe; a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing, said shaft having one end extending out of said housing, and a set of vanes fixedly mounted on said shaft inside said housing and rotatable by said fluid cooling agent; sealing means mounted in said housing around said shaft to seal the gap between said housing and said shaft; and a cooling fan fixedly mounted on said shaft outside said housing and rotatable with said shaft and said set of vanes to cause currents of air toward said condenser for carrying heat away from said condenser.
 2. The economizer as claim in claim 1, wherein said housing is comprised of a casing and a cover plate covering said casing.
 3. The economizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sealing means comprises two semispherical axle holders mounted in said housing at two opposite sides to support said shaft in said housing, said semispherical axle holders each having a plurality of inside grooves, a fluid polymer filled in said inside grooves inside said axle holders, and two stepped caps respectively mounted in said housing and capped on said semispherical axle holders to seal the gap between said housing and said shaft.
 4. The economizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing comprises two axle bearings disposed at two opposite sides and adapted to support said shaft in said housing; said sealing means comprises two stepped elastic sealing rings respectively mounted on said axle bearings and said shaft to seal the gap between said axle bearings and said shaft, and two stepped hard caps respectively capped on said stepped elastic sealing rings. 